West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee takes aim at Centre over ‘unilateral’ Teesta treaty, NEET

KOLKATA: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday used PM Narendra Modi’s Teesta water-sharing discussions with Bangladesh to accuse Centre of “selling Bengal” and planning to “snatch the livelihoods of Bengal’s residents” and the “exam scams” to call for abolishing NEET in favour of reverting to the system in which state govts conducted their own medical entrance tests.
Banerjee sent two separate letters to the PM, one on the water-sharing issue and the other on NEET.
The “selling Bengal” comment was in reference to Centre’s “unilateral” discussions with Bangladesh on Saturday in Delhi about — among other things — sharing Ganga and Teesta waters, when the neighbouring country’s PM, Sheikh Hasina, met PM Modi. The two countries signed 10 agreements/MoUs and announced over a dozen other initiatives, as Modi hosted Hasina for the first state visit after the formation of the new NDA govt.
Banerjee wrote there was simply not enough water in the Teesta to share. She said she “understands” govt at the Centre “is in the process of renewing the India-Bangladesh Farakka Treaty (1996), which is to expire in 2026.” “It is a treaty which delineates the sharing of water between Bangladesh and India and, as you are aware, it has huge implications for people of Bengal,” she said, adding that people of Bengal would be the “worst sufferers” of such treaties. “Such unilateral deliberations and discussions without consultation and the opinion of the state govt is neither acceptable nor desirable,” she said.
The NEET demand came amid growing opposition heat over alleged mismanagement in the conduct of the examination. Banerjee said the mismanagement not only harmed students, but also compromised the quality of medical education in the country and affected the quality of medical service. “The allegations of paper leak, taking bribes by certain people and officials involved in the conduct of the examinations, opening of window to accommodate certain students to apply for examinations, grace marks etc, are some serious issues which need complete attention and require a thorough, clean and impartial probe,” Banerjee wrote.